communities, who were looking
to him for information. “I learned
that Deaf people with limited
English, such as Spanish speakers,
understand ASL better than reading
English closed captioning,” he
said. “They saw me on the press
conferences, GEMA/HS Facebook
page and my personal Facebook
page. It then spread to other
postings in Deaf groups — the
emergency information spread
quickly.”
Emergency information protects
citizens in a disaster, and Cowan
learned firsthand how the
information he put out for GEMA/
HS during Irma saved the life of a
Deaf community member.
“I worked with GEMA/HS to
distribute information about not
using generators in flooded areas.
One Deaf member received a
generator and learned how to use
it safely by viewing my information
in ASL,” he said. “Because this
information was in the citizen’s
native language, ASL, it helped
keep him safe.”
The process of interpreting
emergency information varies
depending o n the type of
information and how it’s being
released. For instance, to interpret
emergency information into a video
for the Deaf community, GEMA/
HS provided Cowan the emergency
and safety information, which he
then translated into ASL and signed
for the camera. In order to interpret
a press conference, however, it
required a team that consisted of
a hearing interpreter and a Deaf
Interpreter. The hearing interpreter
sits out of the view of the audience
and cameras but is visible to the
Deaf Interpreter. They listen to the
information being provided and
sign the spoken English to the Deaf
Interpreter (in Hurricane Irma’s case,
Cowan). The Deaf Interpreter then
translates it into ASL..
According to Cowan, other
Deaf people can tell he’s Deaf by
his signing, which makes a huge
difference in how the information is
received.
It’s the connection from one Deaf
person to another, that makes one
another better,” he said.
A 2012 American Community
Survey conducted by Gallaudet
University, showed almost 2 percent
of the Georgia population (or
more than 118,000) citizens are
Deaf or Hard of Hearing. With
this community’s critical need for
information identified, GEMA/
HS continues its efforts to make
information accessible to all citizens
in Georgia, including the Deaf
community, by working with Cowan
and other Deaf Interpreters.
“The response we received from
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
community after Hurricane Irma
was overwhelming,” said Howden.
“We know we’re on the right track
to closing communication gaps and
removing obstacles to receiving
emergency information.”
Cowan signs for Governor Nathan Deal during a Hurricane Irma media briefing at the state capitol. (Photo by Andrea
Briscoe)
DISPATCH